After six years as the head coach of the Campbell Camels, Cary Kolat will take over the wrestling program at Navy.

As first reported by Bill Wagner of the local Annapolis outlet, the Capital Gazette, Naval Academy athletic director Chet Gladchuk moved swiftly after firing Joel Sharratt just one week ago. Kolat's move to Navy was made official Friday evening, March 20. 

Before his coaching career began, Kolat was one of the most prolific high school wrestlers in history. The Rice Landing, PA native started his college career at Penn State before transferring to Lock Haven where he won two NCAA national titles.

Kolat would also represent the USA internationally, making three world teams from 1997-1999, winning a silver in 1997 and a bronze in 1998. Kolat is also an Olympian, having competed in the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. 

Watch the trailer to the original FloFlm: The Story of Cary Kolat

Kolat helped lift Campbell University's wrestling team to new heights, leading the Camels to three SoCon championships in the last four years. He was named the SoCon coach of the year in his last two seasons in Buies Creek, NC and helped guide Nathan Kraisser to All-American honors in 2017, the first wrestler to do so in program history. 

The Camels were poised to do big things in Minnesota this season before the tournament was canceled. Six student-athletes qualified for NCAAs, three of whom received top-10 seeds: #8 Josh Heil at 141-pounds, #8 Andrew Morgan at 184-pounds, and #9 Noah Gonser at 133-pounds.

The Camels were 0-9 when Kolat first took over the squad in 2015, and 3-13 the year after that. Kolat turned things around after that, registering a 36-17 record over the next four years. Additionally, Kolat's wrestlers have earned a total of 21 bids to the NCAA tournament against just 9 in the previous 15 years. 

The Midshipmen have been under Sharratt's command for the last six seasons. During that time they have had wrestlers qualify for the national championship 25 times, producing one All-American, Matthew Miller at 184-pounds in 2016. 

Navy returns all but one of their starters next year, including their highest-seeded student-athlete to qualify for the NCAAs, junior Tanner Skidgel, who earned the #9 seed at 165-pounds.